Box wrapping system



y 1944- J. s. STOKES I 2,352,665

. BOX WRAP PING SYSTEM FiledDec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fay."

' INVENTOR.

BY 64. 4 QnQu ATTORNEY.

Jul 4, 1944.

J. S. STOKES BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

. ATTORNEY.

y 4 I J. 5. STOKES 2,352,665

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 3 v v J s. STOKES I BOX :WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. ,9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet .4

BY & oi- 27 ATTORNEY.

' July 4, 1944.

J. S. STOKES Box WRAPPING SYSTEM l6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 9, 1941' INVENTOR. 20 fm mgw ATTORNEY.

July 1944- J; s. STOKES 2,352,665

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Fiied' Dec. 9', 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 6 y 1944. J, 5. STOKES 2,352,665

' Bdx WRAPPING .SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 7 July 4, 1944. J. 5. STOKES BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 '16 Shee ts-Sheet a INVENTOR.

50L Mm 024 ATTORNEY.

July 4, 1944.

J. s. STOKES 4 BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM 16 sheets-sheet 9 Filed Dec. 9, 1941 )jIjIQENTOR. 9.14 w ATTORNEY.

July ,4', 1944. J? STOKES 7 2,352,665

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 1o INVENTOR.

BY MMQL k. $92 M ATTORNEY.

July 4, 1944. J. s. STOKES BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM 16 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Dec. 9, 1941 g W an INIVENTOR. pl; 11% 5.

ATTORNEY.

July 4, 1944.

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet l2 IN VENTOR.

.1, s. STOKES 2,352,665

BY Mk/m ATTORNEY.

July 4,19 4. ES 2,352,665

Box WRAPPING SYSTEM.

Fi1e d Dec. 9,- 1941' l6. Sheets-Sheet 13 1NVENT( )R. 1 M {-14 PAM ATTORNEY.

16 Sheets-Shee+ 4 J. s.' STOKES BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Da e. 9', 1941 w v un July 4, 1944.

VENTZR.

a ,X- w

ATTORNEY.

y 1944. J. s. STOKES 2,352,665:

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 9.1941 1s Sheets-:Sheet 15 urn, Hm

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

i 5:9. JQ.

JlllY 1944- J. s. STOKES ,35

BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM I 4 Filed Dec. 9, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet l6 INVEIW" OR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 4, 1944 BOX WRAPPING SYSTEM John S. Stokes, HuntingdonValley, Pa assignor to Stokes and Smith Company, Philadelphia,

, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 9, 194-1, Serial No. 422,197 12; Claims. sis-54.2; 1

My invention relates to systems'for making boxes from assemblies each comprising a box blank, or equivalent, manually registered by an operator at an assembly station upon an adhesively-coatedwrapper, label 'or equivalent, generically termed a wrapper.

A major object of my invention is the provision of systems for and methods of producing assemblies of box structures or unstayed box blanks withwrappers soconstituted and characterized that the order of magnitude of loss of time, in

terms of loss of production ofwrapped boxes per week or other suitable unit of time, for changing over from production of assembliestfor boxes of one size to production of assemblies for boxes of another'size, is much less than the order of magnitude of loss of time occurring in so changing over fully automatic systems.

My invention resides in semi-automatic systems for, and methods of, assembling box structures, especially unstayed box blanks, with wrappers, more particularly wrappers provided with tabs or the like for staying unstayed box blanks, characterized by operating coordination with each other by an operator of units which respectively automatically deliver box structures or blanks and wrappers, withinreach of the operator who then registers or assembles the box structures or blanks with or upon the wrappers; and more particularly my said systems and methods may comprise, further, a wrapping unit for or a wrapping step of automatically converting the assemblies into wrapped boxes, the assemblies being either automatically or by intervention of a second operator transferred or delivered to the wrapping unit. I d

In accordance with my invention, the box blanks are fed toward the'operator and delivered in turn at a predetermined position within reach of the operator and in predetermined orientation or position with respect to the orientation or position of the wrapper with which it is to be manually assembled; more particularly, the

wrappers are fed intermittently or step-by-step toward the operator, and each in turn comes to rest near her in a predetermined position, in substantial alignment'with, and in predetermined orientation or position'with respect to an individual box blank which has been fed toward the operator and has come to rest near herin another predetermined position.

Further in accordance with my invention, members for controllingthe feeding and coating of thewrappers, the feedingand delivery of the box blanks (which may be pre-bent either before or during feeding and deliverythereof), and conversion of the assemblies into wrapped boxes are all located at the assembly station for actuation there by the operator for supervision of the operation of the system as a whole and for intervention at any time in the control or to initiate operation of any one or mor significant mechanisms thereof. 1

1 My invention further resides in the methods andin the systems having the features hereinafter described and claimed.

This application is in part a continuation of application Serial No. 338,694, filed June 4, 1940, Patent No. 2,295,461, September 8, 1942.

For an understanding of my invention and for illustration of various systems embodying it, reference is mad to the accompanying drawings in .whicht I Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of mechanisms comprisingv a, semi-automatic box wrapping system;

Fig. 2' is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3, in perspective, discloses the arrangement by which an operator may control or supervise the operation of the component mechanisms of the Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of blank-bending and feeding mechanism as shown in Figs.

1 and 2; V

Fig. 5 is a detail view, on enlarged scale and with parts broken away, showing significant elements of the mechanism of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, in perspective, shows a box blank after operation thereon of mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a front elevational view of mechanisms comprising another semi-automatic box wrapping system.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the system of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9, in perspective, illustrates the elements significant, in controlby the operator of the various mechanisms shown in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view, in plan, illustrating a modification of the wrapper-conveying mechanism of Figs. 7-9;

' Fig. 11 is a side elevational view of parts appearing in Fig. 10; I

Fig, 12 is a side elevational view of another semi-automatic system embodying my invention;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the system of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14, in perspective, discloses an arrangement for control by the operator of the mecha- Referring to the system shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in each cycle of the mechanism G, preferably of type disclosed in Bailey application Serial No. 334,149 filed May 9, 1940, Patent No. 2,276,683, March 17, 1942, and Federwitz et a1. application Serial No. 397,894 filed June 13, 1941, a wrap per or sheet W is lifted by the suction gripper I from the top of the stack S and delivered to rolls 2, 3 which feed it to adhesive-applying roll ll; the adhesive coated wrappers are each in :turn deflected by stripper blades 5 from roll 4 lonto conveyor belt 6 which is driven intermittently or step-by step by mechanism G to advance the wrappers toward an operator located at the assembly station 0 indicated by stool or chair 1.

Suction is applied through the conveyor belt to hold the freshly coated wrappers flat during their transport and during register thereon, by

the operator, of box blanks.

To each of the wrappers there may be applied,

preferably in accordance with aforesaid applica- 1,857,260 to Rider, a group of'tabs i cut from the rolls R of tabbing material.

The lever B, disposed adjacent the assembly station 0, is provided to allow the operator from that location to actuate the bleeder valve "9A of the gluer mechanism G when she desires to prevent the gripper i from removing a wrapper from the stack S without interruption of feed of wrappers already on conveyor belt 6. When mechanism G is of the aforesaid preferred type, the interruption of suction automatically prevents supply to belt 6 of tabs which otherwise would be coated with adhesive and delivered thereto, without wrappers.

For each cycle of operation of mechanism B,

a prescored, corner-cut box blank BB is removed from stack BS thereof and delivered into the path of a plunger 9 which carries the blank down- Wardly adjacent two sets of bending tools which sharply bend thesides and ends of the blank along the scoring so there to weaken or fracture the fibres of the blank material that tendency of sides and ends of the completed box to bow is substant ally overcome. The bent blank upon its release from the plunger 9 is received by conveyor it? which transports it to a position, accessible to the operator at station 0, determined by the stop ll, Fig. 4..

The blank-bending and. delivering mechanism B is so disposed with respect to the conveyor 6 that each blank, as positioned by stop H, is in substantial alignment with a wrapper W at rest, in front of the operator, upon the step-by-step conveyor 5. As hereinafter appears in discussion of Fig. 3, the timing of operation of the conveyor 6 with respect to the sheet-removing mechanism may be varied so that whatever may be the size of the selected wrappers, the center line of each in direction of movement of conveyor 5 will be in alignment with the center line substantially para1le1 with the end-covering flaps of the wrapper at the assembly station and the leng sides of the box blank are substantially parallel with the corresponding long flaps of the wrapper.

The mechanisms G and B are so timed that for each wrapper W delivered by conveyor 6 in front of the operator, a bent box blank is delivered by conveyor ill to position in front of and accessible to the operator. In consequence, the operator upon-arrival of each successive'wrapper at the.

assembly station need merely remove or lift'an individual bent box blank, havingproper orientation, from the position defined by stop I l and move it forwardly and downwardly into registered adhesive engagement with the wrapper .at rest at the assembly station 'to form an assembly A.

The assemblies A so manually produced are advanced step-by-step by conveyor 6 toward the wrapping mechanism M, preferably of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,119,980 and in co-pending Bailey application Serial No. 314,375 filed January 18, 1940, Patent No. 2,262,788, November 18, 1941, so disposed with respect to conveyor 6 that, as above stated, a box and wrapper assembly is positioned, at the completion of one of the stepping movements of conveyor 5, in substantial alignment with the form block [2 of the wrapping machine M.

Once for each cycle of mechanism M the grippers l3 of the transfer mechanism T, a component of mechanism M, erects the side and .end

walls of the box blank at the delivery end of the,

conveyor 6 and transports the assembly A comprising that blank and the wrapper attached thereto into the path of form block l2 which during its descent moves the assembly adjacent the path .of movement of various tools which apply the side panels of the wrapper to the erected side walls of the box. In the next cycle of the mechanism M, the carriage l4 transfers aforesaid box and-wrapper assembly into the path of a second plunger 15 which during its descent moves the partially completed assembly adjacent another group of sheet-applying tools for application of the end panels to the box and turn-in of the marginal portions of all wrapping panels, all as more fully described in United States Letters Patent 2,119,980 to Bailey.

Concurrently with transfer of a partially completed assembly from below plunger l2 toward the path of movement of plunger I5, carriage l4 pushes a completely wrapped box from the machine or onto the guides l6, l6.

So long as a supply of wrappers and box blanks is maintained in the wrapper coating mechanism G and the blank bending mechanism B, the sheet applying mechanism M is permitted automatically to control the timing of mechanisms B and G, but there are provided, at locations convenient to the operator at the assembly station 0, various controls. Fig. 3, by which the operator maydndependently control the operation or the mechanisms B, G and. M. wFor' example a at. the

beginning of la run or after a prolonged; inter ruption; the :operator :by :depressing control treadleit35lcan effect operation of the. wrapper feeding. mechanism G. alone and then when 'sufli cient wrappers have been delivered toconveyor 6 to bring. the first of them at the assembly station,-initiate operation "of the blank bending. device B by pulling out knob 16 so to provide for supply of blanks which-she may register eupon th wrappers." When'the first of these assem blies reachesthe transfer station, the operator by depressing control treadle I02 may then initiate operationof the wrapping machine M for transfer ofthe-assemblies in turn to form" block. |2. Knob I6 and treadle 35 are then permitted to return to their original positions and so long-as treadle 102" is held depressed the mechanism M will repeat its cycle and in-each cycleinitiate,

through cams 38, H; a cycle of each of the mechanism'sG'and B. e J If' during a run, the'operator 'servingxalsd Has inspector, notices upon the conveyor a wrapper which for one reason or other is unsuitablep'or notices absence of a wrapper; she may lift pedal I02 and so interruptopera'tion of mechanism'M with the result mechanisms B andlG also' stop upon completion of their cycles alreadyiinitiated. Furthermore when a run is to be completed, when the supply of wrappers is depletedjor the systemis tobe shut down at the end of'a workingperiodwthe operator by 'aotuation'of handle 8 interrupts operation of the w'rapper'feeding mechanism (and of the'tab feeding mechanism as well) but allows'continued operation 'of con-- veyor 6 "and of'mechanis'm M so to clearthe conveyor 6 of, and to make boxes from, assemblies which she has already formed. Aft'er the last assemblyhas been made, the operatorinter'rupts supply of box blanks to the assembly station by opening switch 648 in the circuit of the motor- 64; conveyor 6 continues to operate until after delivery of the last assembly to :the wrapping machine M.

*An arrangement providing such control of mechanisms G, B, M by the operator at the assembly station is'shown in Fig. '3. The motor l1, Fig. 1,'through belt I 8, pulley l9 and gears 21; 22, Fig. 3, continuously drives worm wheel '23:which also serves asthe driving element of a clutch. To the shaft 24 of mechanism G is keyed or otherwise suitably secured the driven element 25' of the clutch; pawl or dog 26 carried by member 25 is biased by spring 21 into driving engagement with the continuously rotating clutch element 23. 'When mechanism G is idle the pawl 26 is'held from engagement with the rotating clutch member 23 by the latch 28 supported for movement into and out of the path of pawl 26 by stationary guide 29. The operating linkage forthe latch 28 includes the arms 38 and 3| attached to shaft 32, the link or bar 33 which is connected at the assembly station to one '34 of aforesaid treadle member 35 and at its remote end to one arm of lever 36, actuatable by cam 38 on shaft 39 of the sheet applying mechanism M.

When latch 28 is withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. ,3, either'intermittently by cam 38 nism; completed in alperiod somewhatishorter than the period corresponding with 'a cycle of the sheet applying mechanism' M. When the operator releases thetreadle or when cam 38 of the wrapping machine permits; the latch 28 under controliof biasing spring 'w, for example, isreturnedinto the path of the' dog 26; therefore at the end of the cycle, the latch 28'rocks" dog 26. out of engagement with the continuously rotating clutch member 23 ahdstops' the ma chine G.- 1 a During the cycle of mechanism G, the cam 4| effects actuation of the conveyor clutch compris ing driving member 43 anddriven member 44 interposed between the driving rolls 45 of the conveyor belt 6 and the continuously rotating gear 46 attached to or integral with the driving clutch member '43. The driven clutch member 44 is slidab-ly'keyed to shaft 4'! to'which the lower feed roll 45 is secured'andjis provided with'a roove 48-'which receives thethrust members-49 supported by the upper: forked nd of 1e-ver5fl provided at'its lower end with "a cam follower 5| received by the cam groove 52' of cam 4|. 1 I

Suitably after beginning of abycle of mechanism G, one revolution'bf shaft 24,"the rise '53 of cam 4|efiects clockwise movement' ofar' n5tl so to effect engagement of'the clutch members 43 and 44'. The'conveyor belt 6 thereupon moves, for about a' half cycle' of mechanism G; to 'advance the wrappers towards the operator untilthe rise 54 of cam 4| 'causes' separation of the clutch members 43, 44. y i

The angular distance-"between the rises 53,- 54 of cam 4| is'fixed, and consequently the stepsof the conveyor are all of the same length. V To ensure that at the end of 'a step of conveyort there shall beat the assembly station '0' andaij, the transfer station T a wrapper, which, "regard less of'its size, shall be 'centered'or' in alignment with the'formblocks 9'and l2 respectively,'the clamping'nut 42 is loosened arid the; cam 4| as just'ed angularly with'respect'to shaft'i24 to 'obtain the proper 'timingbetw'een th'e' operation of the'conveyo'r and t em-aeration of the sheetre moving and "feeding" mechanism including the suction gripper I. 'At fixed time in each cycle gripper'l movestoward and'frorn the top sheet of the stack; suction is applied through gripper I under control of the reciprocatingmember'55 which actuat'es the bleeder valve 56 in the sue-- tion' line'5'l'from pump P to thesuctiml gripper I When the operator desires continued step-jby' step movement of the conveyor for transport or wrappers or assemblies thereon "withoutfeed oli additional wrappers thereto, she interrupts supply of suction to the gripper I by changin-grthe position'of valve 9A in the suction supply line 51; Valve member '9A,'a's above stated, is connected to the control lever 8 at the assembly stationf the linkage between these members, Fig. 3, mi cludesthe'rods 58 and 59 interconnected by the bell crank lever 60. The membersfil and" 62 for I pivotallt supporting the control lever B andbell crank 60 may conveniently be'mounted'upon one anism B through belt 85 and pulley 58, which serves as the driving element of a-clutch whose driven member is attached to shaftBB and biased as by spring 61 toward member 6B but is restrained by means including forked member 69, the notched member I attached-thereto, andthe latch member 'II. The leverfIZ to which. latch II is pivotally connected is in turn connected by rod I3 and bell crank lever 14 to rod I5 which extends to position accessible to the operator at the assembly station and is there provided with the control knob or member I6. In th particular arrangement shown, when the operator pulls the knob I6 toward her the latch H is pulled downwardly out of the notch in member whereupon the spring '81 is free to effect-engagement of the clutch members and so initiate a cycle of the bending mechanism B independently of operation of the wrapper-applying mechanism M.

- With control knob 16 in its inner position and 'with control pedal Hi2 held depressed by the operator, withdrawal of the latch member H is intermittently effected automatically under control of cam 1! on shaft 38 of the sheet applying mechanism M by means including the supporting lever 18 for the cam follower 19 and linkage between the levers 12 and 18 including the rod 80, 8|, 82 and the bell crank levers 83, 84.

The mechanism for re-settinlatch H and interrupting operation of mechanism B at the end of a cycle thereof, completed in shorter time than a cycle of mechanism comprises a cam 85 which makes one revolution per cycle of mechanism B. The lever 86 carrying the cam follower 81, biased for continuous engagement with cam 85, is connected as by link 88A to the reciprocable guide block 88 of the latch ll. During a cycle of mechanism B, the guide block 88 is moved by cam 85 to bring the latch II into alignment with the notch in member I8 so that the latch II when released may enter the notch. Near the end of the cycle, the cam 85 returns the guide 88, latch II and member ID to the position shown in'Fig. 3 and so effects disengagement, in opposition to spring 61, of the clutch interposed between motor 64 and the blank bending mechanism.

The driving motor 89 of the sheet Wrapping mechanism M effects through belt 90 and pulley 8| continuous rotation of the driving member of a clutch similar to that above described in connection with the bending mechanism B. More particularly, the driven member 93 of th clutch attached to shaft 92 of the machine is biased by spring 94A toward engagement with the driving member of the clutch. The clutch members are held separated in opposition to spring 94A by means including the yoke member 94, the notched member 95 attached thereto andthe latch 96 slidable through the reciprocable guide 97- and having a pin and slot connection with the bell crank lever 98 suitably connected as by rod 89, lever I00 and shaft IUI to the control treadle IE2 at the assembly station 8.

When latch 96 is released by depression of treadle I02 the spring 94A effects engagement of the clutch members and the motor 89 thereupon through shaft 93 and parts driven thereb effects movement of the plungers I2, I 5, carriage I4, and the associated sheet applying tools. Reengagement of the latch 96 and notched member 85 and their movement while so engaged to separate the clutch members is eiTected-by cam 85A connected to guid 91 by bell crank lever 86A and link 81A.

During each cycle of mechanism M, cams 38 and '11 attached to shaft-'39, connected ias'iby gears I 83-! to shaft 93.makeone'revolution and through their actuation of :the latches-128 and H of sheet-coating mechanism G and blankbending mechanism B provide for delivery to'the operator at the assembly station ll of anotheribox blank and another wrapper; 1

The disposition at the assembly station orth'e control members 8, 16, 35-and' I02-and."start" and stop switch 64S'permits the operator there to initiate and interrupt the operation of the system as a whole and independently to control the supply of wrappers and tabs to the conveyor-belt; the delivery of box blanks and wrappers to the assembly station, and formation of wrapped boxes from the assemblies, of box blanks and wrappers. The centralization of the controls at the assembly station permits the operator from that location to cope with any contingency that may arise and to effect the proper sequence of initiation and cessation of operation of the mechanisms (3, B and M, or components thereof, at the beginning and end of a period of normal operation of'rthe system as a whole.

Eflicient and skilled operators working under favorable box factory conditions, such asuse' of highest qualities of box-blanks, wrappers, .tab material and adhesives, and provision of expert maintenance of the machines, may run the system without interruption and for long periods, :by keeping depressed the control member I 02, Fig; 3.

Operators of lesser ability or experience, and more especially if factory conditions are adverse, frequently need to start and stop conveyors 8 and I!) either simultaneously or individually, and may selectively operate any of the control members MS, I6, I02 and 35, Fig. 3, to, meet the various situations arising. I

Previously in so-called semi-'automatic'systems in which an operator registered box blank'son wrappers, unstayed box blanks'were commonly stacked on a table or support disposed'to one side of the operator who, in each interval between successive steps of the conveyor which transported the wrappers, was compelled to concen-- trate and direct her attention and efforts upon removal of only the top blank of the-stack, and then redirected her attention and efforts to the wrappers on the conveyor before attempting to register the blank upon a wrapper to form an assembly. I The diifidulty of removing blanks, particularly corner-notched blanks, one at a time, without upsetting or disarranging the stack thereof, forced the operator relatively slowly or carefully to perform the act of blank-separation with consequent need for haste in-the essential assembling step which requires appreciable time for accurate registration of the box blank upon "a wrapper.

In the systems of Figs. 1 and 2 the delivery of box blanks individually in succession, one for each wrapper delivered to the assembly station, to a predetermined position and definite orientation with respect to its assigned wrapper adjacent the assembly station and there free, displaced from the blank next to follow,'for instant manual removal Without regard for or effect by the succeeding blank or blanks, relieves the operator or the distracting tension, hesitation and fatigue incident to separating each blank from an unstablestack thereof with the results neater boxes and substantially greater'number of boxes are pro duced per Working day or week, all with less de mand upon-the nervous energy of the operator.

When this semi-automatic system is usedfor 

